Sunday, August 29, 2010

The Development of Communication in the Human Niece

They warn you about this day in Uncle School. They tell you there's no way to avoid it, but not to fear it. Just be prepared, they say. It comes to all uncles, sooner or later.

Yet you believe in your secret heart that your niece–who is exceptional in so many other respects–will be different.

But human nature will out.

The day does come. And though you swore you would not suffer it gladly, after the briefest hesitation you straighten your back, pull out your sketch book, marshall your knitting needles, and start swatching with the excruciatingly pink 220 Sport that has suddenly, as though by magic, arrived in the mail from Cascade.

How did they know? Because everyone knows. Even you knew, though you tried to deny it.Oh, well. Amor vincit omnia.

Have you experienced the full brunt of her fashion sense? The refusal to wear things that because she doesn't like how they look? My oldest fashion diva was there before she could talk. When you held up clothes in the store she would nod yes or no and shove the stuff she didn't like away from her if you ignored her. And the absolute worst was her declaration at about age 4 that all handknit wear itched.

Can't wait to see the poncho-in-progress! Pink with purple flowers is so-o-o princess. If you can figure out how to insert a pony or a unicorn you will be a mega-cool-uncle.

Not being good uncle material, do they tell you in Uncle School about the possibility of Gothic Backlash in a later developmental stage? This is where pink and purple is replaced by BLACK. And maybe some purple, but mostly BLACK.

Could be worse. She could look at your socks (knit from Opal that was discontinued before her birth) & say, "You know the yarn in those socks has all my favorite colors in it." This shortly after you've promised to knit her socks & asked her what color. Fortunately, I was able to find a couple of lonely balls in an online shop on Vancouver Island. Hopefully, she will be as happy with her birthday socks as I expect. I've found my grands to be the most appreciative recipients of my hand knits of anyone I've ever knit for.

Memories! All there. The pink. The black (and gray and navy years)the twenties when it was "Mom, I don't DO pink." Now it's the early thirties when some pink has finally entered the wardrobe along with bright red (incl. a great pair of red w/ white polka dot HIGH heels). There's even a pink and gray tweed suit in her professional wardrobe! Hang on! It's a bumpy ride!

I apologise for using 'lol' in your comments. But that is what I did. Yes, nieces are like that aren't they. Our family has issues with pink so I'm sending this to my daughter who will feel for you too.

Yup. Which is why I sewed and hand-quilted two horse-themed quilts in purple, pink, turquoise, and ... wait for it ... orange. I call them the Girly Horse quilts. Happily, my nieces love them so much the quilts are bound to wear out some day when their tastes might be more, well, tasteful.

My own Amazing Abigail, the Wonder Neice, has thankfully passed thru this stage already. Her poncho was crocheted, in a variegated pink-lavender-lilac from *gasp* Red Heart. She still wears it! But would very much like a pirate hat for Talk Like A Pirate Day, with a big purple plume, thank you.

What is it with little girls and pink? It must be genetic. My twin niece and nephew just turned 6, and she is all about the pink and purple and ponies. He's into trucks and Spiderman, even though they were raised sharing toys. I just don't get it.

I made the Auntie version. Two of them, one for the niece, one for the hairstylist's daughter. Niece wouldn't wear it because it "didn't have sleeves". The hairstylist couldn't get the poncho off of her daughter. That's what happens when you don't wait for the request.

Yeah, I had a hand-crocheted purple poncho with fringe on it in 1970. So my niece wanted one and I obliged - and yes it was made from variegated Fun Fur, had fringe, and contained, as my brother put it, "all the Barbie colors." What a hit!

Oh, yes, the pink & purple phase! My older granddaughter (5) has moved past to loving "aqua", I suspect because she enjoys saying the word. Younger granddaughter is still very pink. My own daughter insisted on pink...dresses. This at a time when she was always falling & scraping her knees, & I desperately wanted her in overalls.

Boys have a similar "thing", by the way: fascination with guns. My son at 18 months of age, never having seen a gun anywhere at all in his short life, came out of his first hour of gun-free daycare pointing his first 2 fingers and shouting, "Pow!"

When my nephew P was 8 he asked for something made of fun fur. (That never came up in Aunt School.) Funny. I never came up with the right pattern...

Then he and his brother asked me for Nascar socks (I sang opera and bake a lot of cookies). They got their socks. I had to write patterns for two very different sizes. And it had to be a mix of intarsia and FI. Good thing I love them.

Now, at almost 13, he's only interested in the mathematic properties of knitting. :-(

Oh, been there. Except for me, it was multicolored Lion Jiffy with hot pink Fun Fur trim. *shudders* Totally worth it in the end though, because my then 5 yo niece loved it so much. She wanted to sleep in the thing. And now she's older and has much better taste, and loves every single thing I make her (that's not hideous!). So, totally worth it in the end.

What is sad about the passing of my youngest niece's pink/purple stage is that it also ended the "will you make me.." phase.

As for the fun fur, she'd love it, especially the sparkly kind, and then really love the uncle even more. Just sayin. If you are in need, I believe I have some in stash from the neighbor girl's pink stage.

For my niece, I made an Icelandic wool cardigan in pink and purple (who knew Icelandic sheep came in those colors?).

My 13-year-old daughter just started high school this morning. She still loves pink, although the purple accessorizing of the pink items has long since ceased. It's more that pink is used to accessorize otherwise boring items. For example, her graphing calculator has a pink clip-on casing and she decorated her laptop case with green and pink duct tape. Yes, duct tape.

All little girls, it seems, will at some point want to wear only pink or only lavender/purple. The good news about about your niece choosing pink is that it is a more stable color to photograph (but of course, this is probably not so much of an issue for you...)

Little girls and the colors of purple and pink, why is that I wonder. Most little girls seem to go thru that state though, you can see them on the streets somedays, all purple and pink - sometimes with sunglasses.

My Granddaughter is now 12 and it's all about HOT pink and black. Her room is still Hot pink and purple " not lavendar, Grandma, purple. The real color..." Congratulations on letting her be who she is!

I made a pink poncho for the small one next door, no fringe, no flowers, but a variegated yarn from a grab bag. She loved it and it was very easy for her parents to stuff it over her head on the way out the door. I can look up the pattern for you if you want.

1.I want a pink and purple poncho, please make me one2.I will wear anything as long as it is green3. I will not wear beads, ribbons, ruffles, lace, sequins, or any other decoration, it has to be pretty and black and not like anything anyone else will be wearing but I won't try on the size 0 on the clearance rack at Banana Republic because the dressing rooms scare me 4. It has to be pink and strapless and have a crinoline, did I say bright pink? really bright, and sparkly.5. Two teachers asked me where I got my outfit and one stopped me in the hall and measured the skirt length twice, do you think I should wear this outfit to school again?6. When are you going to start knitting my hat? The purple yarn in your sewing room is really cool and the things you make are warmer and better looking than anything in the store.

One of my regrets in life is that I did not keep the poncho my mother made me when I was about 7. It was red, white, and blue -- granny squares -- and yes, it did indeed have fringe. Just think of the pink and purple poncho as making memories, it'll ease the pain of the bright pink yarn.

I believe psychologists call this stage of female child development "barbie-itis", characterised by a life over populated by all things pink and girly! But,as it is a developmental stage, it will pass...then you get lilac, then the joys of teenage nihilism...enjoy the pink!

My grandaughter lives in a world of pink. There is no point in me even trying to knit something is some color other than Pink. Although I'm dreading the day she wants everything in Black even more than I dread the acrylic pink with sparkles.

It's not so bad. Remember that class you took with Brandon Mably? Channel your inner Brandon (or your inner Kaffe), and make pink, purple, and white sophisticated and gorgeous. If anyone can do it, you can.And on a purely technical note, check out the "knotted cast on" in the back of Alice Starmore's Fisherman's Knits. It makes a firm edge with built-in openings PERFECT for adding great, substantial fringe, without distorting the edge of the fabric.Give Abigail another heirloom!

Mine got the poncho in stitch 'n bitch by Debbie Stoller, but in three shades of pink. Check out the pink angora scarf I designed and made for the same niece, but kept for myself, in Stitch 'n Bitch Nation!!!! It happens to all aunts and uncles. I'm guessing, though, that you won't be deciding to keep the poncho for yourself....

sparkles. glitter. jewels (I wish I could begin to spell the reverent intonation with which my 5 yr old breathes that word). Throw in a row of metallic yarn...maybe a leetle eyelash. she'll be the envy of the PreK crowd.

When she's seven, she'll want a pink tutu. We all did. I think it was required by law.

Start drawing cartoons now explaining how knitted tutus defy laws of physics---at 7, she won't be able to grasp the laws of taste. Or start explaining the color wheel, and make a tutu in colors that coordinate with pink and purple but do NOT make you want to gouge your eyes out.

The pink stage will most likely pass all too soon. My niece, now all grown up at 11 recently declared she no longer wants pink. blue and green are the thing! BTW, they don't teach you much in the Old Maid's guide to being and Aunt either... like what in the heck do you get nephews for birthdays, holidays, etc.??? By the 4th one I started to figure it out :-J

Welcome to the club; the Club of Softies Who Will Knit Damn Near Anything For a Neice Club, that is. My neice loved the fraternal frankenknit socks I used to make for her from leftovers. She lives in Tucson and wore them with her sandals. When she started school, I was told she hated having to wear closed-toe shoes (school rules) because "they really cramp my style". Yes, even at age 5, she had a "style".

At the age of 50, my sister, who totally terroized me into believe I would be a little ninny all my days if I ever had anything to do with that color, recently told me that she had "come to terms with the color pink". What is it about pink that makes everyone so crazy?

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